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Pictured are Tri-States Audio Information Services (AIS) broadcast assistants and WIU students Brandon Kazimer, left, and Ashley Dierks, with several of the approximately 100 items up for bid in AIS Auction 2013, which runs Oct. 30 through Nov. 7 online and in the AIS studios.
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Tri-States Audio Information Services Annual Silent Auction Set to Start Oct. 30

October 24, 2013

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MACOMB, IL — The Western Illinois University Tri-States Audio Information Services (AIS) annual silent auction begins at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30 and continues through 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7. Items will be up for bid in the reading service studios, located at 504 University Services Building, and also online at www.tristatesaudio.org or by calling (309) 298-2403.

According to AIS Director Jane Carlson, all proceeds will benefit Tri-States Audio Information Services, which makes quality audio programming available to individuals who are blind, visually impaired, physically disabled or developmentally disabled through its Radio Information Service and Web Streaming Service.

"This annual fundraiser allows us buy new radios for listeners, purchase subscriptions to newspapers and magazines and cover other general operating expenses that help us fulfill our mission of fostering equal access to printed materials," Carlson noted.

Photographs and descriptions of items will be available on the AIS website beginning Oct. 30. Bids may be placed online, as well. Additionally, items may be viewed and bids may be placed from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m.-noon on weekends at the Tri-States Audio Information Services studios, located in the University Services Building.

Auction items will be categorized into special interest items: food and cooking; jewelry and accessories; lodging and transportation; music; sports-related items; artwork and handcrafted items; automotive; household items; recreation and leisure; and services.

Featured items include an oak dictionary stand handcrafted by Dan Curtis; a Kindle Touch; a six-foot pop-up poinsettia Christmas tree; four quilts; a vintage school desk; two tickets to Monster Jam at the Peoria Civic Center; an "Intro to Improv" course at ComedySportz Chicago; two golf lessons with WIU's Mel Blasi; a pool party from WIU Campus Recreation; two tickets to any BCA 2013-2014 show; two handcrafted Isabel Bloom sculptures; a signed NASCAR Carl Edwards die-cast car; artwork by local artist Jerry Fess; "Bread for a Year" from Panera; a shiatsu traveling chair massager; a handcrafted pottery chip-and-dip set from Dove Tail Arts; 30 Redbox rentals; and an American flag flown over the U.S. Capitol in honor of Tri-States AIS.

In all, approximately 100 items are up for bid, including numerous sports-related clothing items and collectibles, jewelry, knitting lessons, vouchers for home-cooked foods and many gift certificates and items from area businesses including: Arnold Bros. Heating and Cooling; The Attic; The Barberhop (Jerry Tyson); BCA; Blades; Candy Lane Floral and Gifts; Cerar's Barnstormer; Country Inn & Suites; County Market; Curves; Dave's Autobody; Fun City; Holiday Inn Express; Hollister Home Center; Innkeeper's Fresh Roasted Coffee; Lundgren's Detailing; Macomb Chamber of Commerce; Macomb Petland; Market Alley Wines; Milly's Dusters Cleaning Service; The Packinghouse; Perkins Family Restaurant; Petey's Pub & Grill; Q's Café; the Quad City River Bandits; Town & Country Detail Center; and the YMCA of McDonough County.

Individual donors to this year's auction include Cindy Andrews, William and Pearle Bradley, Rob Buck, Vicky Carlson, Jerry Fess, Penny Lawyer, Michael Mannino, Harold Schmalfeld, Dennis Simpson and Pat Zahnle.

"Every year, businesses and friends of our service generously donate items to help this service keep going," Carlson said. "And every year, we have something a little different to offer, and always something unique."

Online auction winners can pick up their items from 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8 through Friday, Nov. 15, or by appointment. Bidders outside of Macomb but within the AIS listening area may have items delivered at no cost. Shipment of items outside the listening area can be arranged, as well.

For more information about the silent auction, contact Carlson at (309) 298-2403.

The Radio Information Service (RIS) is a regional radio reading service. Broadcasting on subcarrier channels of WIUM-FM, Macomb; WIUW-FM, Warsaw/Keokuk; and WQUB-FM, Quincy, the RIS reaches a 20-county area spanning west central Illinois, southeast Iowa and northeast Missouri.

Volunteers read national, regional and local newspapers, magazines and novels. Primary attention is given to daily newspapers serving RIS communities and articles that have a local emphasis. The RIS operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week with overnight hours provided by the Kansas Audio-Reader Network. Listeners are supplied with pre-tuned radios to receive the broadcasts or they listen through the Internet on the Web Streaming Service located at www.tristatesaudio.org.

Tri-States Audio Information Services' Radio Information Service is a service of Western Illinois University's College of Fine Arts and Communication. Additional funding is provided by the Illinois State Library, area United Ways, Lions Clubs and is supplemented by fundraisers and business, organization and individual contributions.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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